The Scio Township Fire Department will celebrate its 25th anniversary Saturday with an open house that includes a blood drive and firefighters performing multiple demonstrations.

Courtesy of the Scio Township Fire Department

Shift Commander James Jorah said the 25th anniversary open house and Red Cross blood drive will go from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Scio Township fire station, 1055 N. Zeeb Road. Among the activities will be a blood drive for the American Red Cross, firefighters extinguishing a car fire and a vehicle extrication demonstration.

Jorah said the department is hoping to get a good turnout for the blood drive and is looking forward to meeting the people the firefighters serve.

“You want to build a close relationship with community members, so any opportunity to meet them in a non-emergency situation is ideal,” Jorah said. “A lot of times, they’re calling us on the worst days of their lives, so it can be very stressful for them.”

All of the fire trucks will be on display, along with the Washtenaw County Hazardous Materials truck, Jorah said. Survival Flight will land a helicopter at the open house, provided it isn’t needed for any emergencies. The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office mounted patrol may also make an appearance, Jorah said.

Children will be treated to a bounce house, A&W will be providing root beer and Uptown Coney is providing food, he said.

The department doesn’t hold open houses every year, but decided to do one this year in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the department, Jorah said. He said the main thing the department is emphasizing is the blood drive.

“We really want a good turnout for that, so everyone should set up a time to donate,” he said.

In order to do that, visit www.redcrossblood.org and search for the sponsor code “SCIOFIRE.” Jorah encouraged those interested in donating blood to make an appointment ahead of time.

The car fire demonstration and extrication demonstration are highlights of the day for both the public and firefighters, Jorah said.

“The biggest, most fulfilling part of it is we get to show the public what we do,” he said. “To be able to demonstrate ‘This is what we’re capable of doing if you or a loved one were trapped’ is great for us.”

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.